Czech Republic manager Jaroslav Silhavy feels betrayed by West Ham United defender Vladimir Coufal
Czech Republic head coach Jaroslav Silhavy admitted the actions of West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal last week “hurt me a lot”.
Coufal, alongside Jakub Brabec and Jan Kuchta, was sent home early from international duty for violating the Czech Republic’s internal rules.
That came after the trio visited a nightclub in Olomouc on Saturday (18 November), following the previous day’s draw with Poland.
Asked about that decision on the back of Monday’s (20 November) 3-0 victory over Moldova, Silhavy is quoted by iSport as saying: “It hurt me. It hurt me a lot. It has been brewing in us for some time, so that’s why the decision was made.”
Asked if he felt betrayed by his players, Silhavy said: “Well, a little, yes.”
Coufal was potentially facing a period out of the Czech national side as a result of his actions, but Silhavy surprisingly called time on his tenure following the win over Moldova.
Just how much of an influence the betrayal of influential figures Coufal, Brabec and Kuchta had on his decision remains to be seen, but it is surely no coincidence.
The reliable West Ham full-back must now live with that, and he also faced further punishment by missing his side’s post-game celebrations after they sealed their place at Euro 2024.
From a purely selfish point of view, it meant that Coufal returned back to West Ham ahead of schedule, giving him the best part of a week to prepare for the Premier League clash with Burnley.
The 31-year-old has no doubt learned his lesson and will hopefully not repeat his actions – defying his manager’s orders – now he is back at United.
In other West Ham news, David Moyes’ worst fears have been realised at London Stadium amid developments over the past week.
